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Class: Mme. Putnam's A form French (6th graders), juin, 1997
Appropriate FL Level: Beginners (second half of first year of study)
OUR CLASS FAVORITE FORMS FOR 1997: STAIR AND DIAMANT FORMS; NAME POEMS; CINQUAIN IN FOURTH PLACE.
Here are our successful plans, pour votre plaisir!:
Type of Poetry: STAIR POEMS
Description: a form poem of FOUR lines in the shape of STAIRS. The idea is to take one idea and describe it in a stair pattern.
Example of the STAIR Form:
line 1: one main idea or theme
line 2: 3 adjectives to describe the main idea
line 3: 1 place or setting associated with the main idea.
line 4: one other way of expressing the main idea: a simile or a metaphor. The spirit of the main idea.
WARM UP ACTIVITIES FOR STAIR POEMS
Distribute to small groups of 3-4:
1. sample poems in the form, in both English and French for each group.
2. brainstorm a list of possible topics: animals, seasons, foods, nature, and sports, our favorites.
3. using samples from earlier French classes, students in groups write up one or two group form poems in English.
5. group looks up wide number of words in dictionaries or I create and distribute a list of descriptors in FL for favorite topics to stir up ideas.
6. Each student chooses a form (I present 3 or 4 types: see below) and a topic to write up in FL and to illustrate.
EXAMPLES OF JUNE, 1997 STUDENT STAIR POEMS IN FRENCH
---------------PETITE BREBIS
petite brebis (little lamb)
------laineuse, niaise, innocente,
------------------sur un coteau ensoleille
---------------------------------------un petit duvet!
d'apres Rachel Schell-Lambert A form (Gr.6) (with illustrations)
---------------LE SOLEIL
-------------------------------------une sphere de vie.
--------------------------une force dans le ciel
-----------Rayonnant, brulant, rechauffant
---Le Soleil!
d'apres Scottie Mc Quilkin Juin,97 A form (with illustrations)
SEE BELOW FOR FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES
2.Type of Poetry: DIAMANT OR DIAMONTE POEMS
Description: a form poem of SEVEN lines in the shape of a diamond. The idea is to go from one subject at the top to its opposite (or to a different topic) at the bottom point of the diamond.
Example of the Form:
line 1: main idea #1(one word noun)
line 2: 2 adjectives to describe the main idea #1
line 3: 3 participles ending in (-ant or ing) describing the first idea
line 4: 4 nouns with the FIRST two describing idea #1 and the SECOND two, referring to idea # 2.
line 5: 3 participles ending in (-ant in French or -ing in English) describing idea #2 at bottom.
line 6: 2 adjectives to describe the main idea #2.
line 7: main idea #2 (one word noun, the opposite of idea #1).
3. Then, let groups brainstorm topics.
4. using samples from earlier French classes, students in groups write up one or two group form poems in English.
5. group looks up wide number of words in dictionaries or I create and distribute a list of descriptors in FL for favorite topics to stir up ideas.
6. Each student chooses a form (I present 3 or 4 types: see below) and a topic to write up in FL and to illustrate.
EXAMPLES OF JUNE, 1997 STUDENT DIAMANT POEMS IN FRENCH
------------------------Episcopal Academy
---------------eleves sophistiques, intelligents
----------souriants, apprenants, gagnants
-----chouettes, mixtes, peur et horreur
----------eleves souffrants, baveants, querellants
---------------guerriers stupides
------------------------(Name of a Rival school!)
d'apres Michael Gadsden A form juin, 97 (6th gr.) smily illustrations to show this created in spirit of good fun!
-------------------Fruits
-----------sucres, juteux
------masticants,plantants, poussants
--bananes, pommes, concombres, carottes
------mangeants, mordants, cuisinants
-----------croustillants, craquants
------------------legumes
d'apres Allison Chan A (form Gr.6 juin, 1997)
3.NAME POETRY WITH FIRST INITIAL IN GIANT LETTERS: A Poetic Present for Someone
Description: my own variation that kids clamor for! a shape and form free-form poem, with as many lines as the name chosen.
line 1: make a giant size puffy shape of the name's first initial. If doing ma mere (my mother), choose the letter m or the first letter of mom's name. Make a list of any adjectives or phrases in FL, such as she loves to/I adore her--. Later on, each author will hand write phrases into the giant puffy outline of the first letter.
line 2 to end: each letter of chosen name serves as beginning of first word for each line.
for example:
Brigitte: make a huge B to fill final sheet. Line 2: R; Line 3: I; Line 4: G; line 5:I and so on.
B: belle, elle chante bien; J'apprecie sa patience; j'admire son style; elle est tres drole.
R: ougit souvent;
I: ntelligente;
G: genereuse a tous
I: noubliable
T: toujours prete a m'aider
T: taquine doucement
E: energique!
Hand set the poem on to one page with the puffy first initial predominant, then fill in with positive qualities. Great for Mothers Day and other holiday projects.
A nice class project is to pass around each person's name for others to add positive comments in FL.(might ultimately fit letters of name. Then select a partner whom each person will create a poem for, adding descriptions to fit letters in name. Each author to put classmates' comments into puffy initial then fill in letters of name. Date, decorate and illustrate, so recipient may hang it up at home.
4.Type of Poetry: CINQUAIN POEMS
Description: a form poem of FIVE lines which follows a specific pattern.The purpose is to describe one subject in a certain number of syllables.
Example of the Form:
line 1: main idea or focus of the poem. (short: one word or a few syllables)
line 2: four syllables: choose adjectives to describe the main idea. BR>
line 3: six syllables describing actions associated with the main idea
line 4: eight syllables, express feelings or make observations about the subject.
line 5: two syllables to tell about the subject in a diofferent way, perhaps a metaphor or a short word image.
3. Then, let groups brainstorm topics.
4. using samples from earlier French classes, students in groups write up one or two group form poems in English.
NOTE: many students wrote up patterns displaying the following number of syllables: 2; 3; 5; 7; 2 or 2; 6; 6; 3; 3 or 1; 6; 6; 8; 6. I counted these as variantes des cinquains since students sensed a patterned rhythm. The cinquain pattern was more difficult for students yet students enjoyed making variations of cinquains as second poems in addition to other patterns they chose for the class book.
5. group looks up wide number of words in dictionaries or I create and distribute a list of descriptors in FL for favorite topics to stir up ideas.
6. Each student selects a form from the types offered. (I present 3 or 4 types: see below) Each chooses a topic to write up in FL in the form. Then each student illustrates their poem.
EXAMPLES OF JUNE, 1997 STUDENT CINQUAIN POEMS IN FRENCH
---------------Arbres
----petites branches
magenta, jaune vif et vertes,
cahoteux, ronds, et lisses et durs
---------------la paix.
d'apres Amanda Dion juin, 1997 A form
----------------CHATS
-----------animaux egoistes
-------ils dorment sur la chaise
-----ennuyants, stupides, paresseux
------------animaux cupides.
d'apres Shaan Sheikh juin, 1997 A form
5. OTHER TYPES OF POETRY TO REFLECT FOCUS OF OUR TEXT:
Short and focused: Concrete Poetry and DADA Poetry.
A. An old stand-by to practice discrete items is Concrete Poetry. Students like this as a short HW assignment to later post in the classroom as a memory aid.
Description of Form:
1. Select a topic: Actions/ vocabulary theme/ rules/ classroom directions in FL.
2. Distribute many examples of verb actions, adjectives, noun categories. Find and display concrete FL poems.
3. Practice sample items together in class to get the point then assign for Homework, specifying size of finished poem and specifics (use markers; printing in FL big enough to be seen at which distance; no L1, signing one's work etc).
B. French DADA poetry for all FL:
Description of Form:
French Dada poets and artists in Paris used to create nonsense poems by cuttin up and scrambling words and phrases from newspapers.
1. Select the following from structures you are studying: For a class of 15, make Twenty or more Verb Actions in the third person singular(put the plural in parentheses; Fifteen or so nouns (we just did vocabulary themes including professions, nationalities and family); lots of adverbs and descriptors that might go with the topics.
2. Put verbs and nouns into one container; descriptors and qualifiers into a separate container.
3.
Each group of 3 or 4 reaches in to take two each from each container then creates poetry phrases. After 5 minutes, each group arrange creations for display and share with class.
4. Two groups combine fragments to create new poems to share with class.
5. asssign scribes to write up results on small post-it notes (or use post-it glue) for posting around the room and subsequent reworkings.
6. Online poetry from the Web: click on Samira Foirest's Poem: LA Vie for a lovely poem in the passée composé about life. Have students write their own variation to illustrate.
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